The Kintyre Forum

Recently could not help but notice Guillemot's in Campbeltown Loch over the last couple of weeks and in particular because I have never seen them before on the loch.

However, they appear to be dying all over the place and tonight I counted at least 20 dead between Dalintober Pier and the New Quay.

Does anyone know why? A friend said to me last night this is happening up the coast of Kintyre and apparently it is to do with a lack of food. Anyone?

Sorry for the pictures but just to give you an idea..

aye i noticed a few as well actually

n/a

David this is very sad. Has anyone contacted the RSPB or SEERAD so that it can be investigated?

n/a

Davie

I found this on the rspb site. What a shame they reached the stage of being fledged and then starved to death.

Not looking forward to the beach clean today if there are lots of dead birds

Hundreds of seabirds are starving to death off Ulster's coast.
Close to 100 dead and dying guillemots have washed ashore on the beaches of south Down alone in the past few days.
Dead birds have also been discovered at Campbeltown and Loch Gilp, in Scotland.
Dr James Robinson, conservation manager with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said the tragedy had began unfolding at the weekend.
"The guillemots began coming onshore at the weekend on Murlough Bay, Newcastle beach and Tyrella," he said.
"They were sent for testing and were found to have starved to death. Their stomachs were empty and they weighed less than 40 grams. There are no words to express how upset we are by this development."
Guillemots feed on spratt or small cod-like fish, but Dr Robinson said there was no question of overfishing.
He said there were lots of unknowns in ocean, but climate change could be a reason.
"I know in the North sea the distribution of fish is changing quite a lot,'' said Dr Robinson. ''These types of fish are moving northward to find cooler waters.
"We're not sure about the Irish sea – we don't know if it's happening here – but it is something we have to consider. It's something we have to start understanding a bit more about.''
Guillemots are one of several seabirds that breed on Rathlin Island in north Antrim.
This year, very few chicks reached fledging age following what the RSPB believes was a severe shortage of food over the summer.
Seabird colonies have also experienced a disastrous three years at colonies around Scotland due to the lack of food.
"It is the second year that the birds on Rathlin Island were hit so badly.
Guillemots, like other seabirds such as the puffin and razorbill, only come on land to lay their eggs and fledge young.
They spend the rest of the winter on the open sea, eating and sleeping in "rafts" on the water.
"The death of so many guillemots on the south Down coast will only add to the problems we recorded on Rathlin Island during the summer", said Dr Robinson.
15 September 2006

I've noticed several on Carradale beach too.

Gary

Wish I had'nt eaten so many of them in Iceland a few years ago.

Dunc

There are so many seals in the waters around Kintyre now - far more than in years gone past, I would say. I don't know the whole food chain routine in this context, however, could the seals be feeding on the fish that these birds would otherwise be eating? And have you ever seen a thin seal?

This seems like a classic case of adapt and survive! According to the rspb (as posted by Jeanette), the fish that Guillemot's eat are moving north and (irrespective of the reason for that) if the birds don't do the same then the result is what we see now. The seal numbers are probably increasing for similar reasons... those from further south could be following their own food source and that food source could be doing the same as that for the Guillemot - moving north into cooler water! The fish and seals are adapting here... and the Guillemot hopefully will too (tho ultimately that means you'll probably see fewer of them around Kintyre!)

Myself and Ronnie Togneri and jdcarra found two dead on the dhorlinn during the beachclean today.

petewick

i too was really concerned when i took the dog a walk over to Dalintober Beach earlier tonite & likewise counted about 22 dead birds!! ive been frantically surfin the net since i got back 2 see if there was any info re this, was a bit concerned after havin let the dog swim in the loch!?! any info would be greatly appreciated.........

just read back oer the rest of the posts, can stop panicking about the dog now but this is really sad it was a horrible thing to see all them poor dead birdies!!

lisanic wrote:i too was really concerned when i took the dog a walk over to Dalintober Beach earlier tonite & likewise counted about 22 dead birds!! ive been frantically surfin the net since i got back 2 see if there was any info re this, was a bit concerned after havin let the dog swim in the loch!?! any info would be greatly appreciated.........

just read back oer the rest of the posts, can stop panicking about the dog now but this is really sad it was a horrible thing to see all them poor dead birdies!!

That is sad indeed when the ones already there were all cleaned up today so must be another lot washed up

I saw a report in the Daily Record yesterday p13 about these birds being found dead all over Scotland, even in citys, if anyone who has yesterdays paper and wants to read it. Sorry ment to post this yesterday before every one dumped their papers!

Is anyone really surprised by this considering the complete mess the human race has made of the planet .... i would expect to see a lot more of this kind of thing very soon .. and not only seabirds.